Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend.

Zanzibar in spotlight over alleged sexual assault involving Nigerian woman in hotel

Officials within the Zanzibar government over the weekend found themselves in a tight spot after they were forced to respond to sexual assault allegations raised by a Nigerian woman named Zainab Oladehinde against one of the isles’ top tourist destinations Warere Beach Hotel  Zanzibar.

But that was not all. Authorities there had another reason to respond for they were also accused by the 25-year-old woman of failing to provide her with necessary support when she raised the matter with them for the first time.

In a highly circulated Twitter thread on Saturday, Oladehinde recounted how she barely escaped being raped while she was in Zanzibar for a holiday in 2021. According to her, the would-be rapist got to her hotel room at Warere in the middle of the night despite having her hotel room locked.

In recounting the traumatic experience, Oladehinde said that at first, she thought she was dreaming only to wake up and find that she wasn’t. According to her, she only prevented the raping from happening after claiming that she was HIV-positive and begged the rapist to go and fetch a condom.

“As I struggled to not let him strangle me, he left the room and told me he’d be back with a condom,” Oladehinde said in one of her tweets. “Immediately he left, I switched on the light, tried to call hotel reception but to my surprise, there were no intercom or phone lines to reach the hotel reception through the room.”

While making efforts to nab the culprit, Oladehinde said she reported to the police but the complaint was dismissed after a medical report established that there was no penetration.

She also said the owner of the hotel put the blame on her and claimed that she was lying.

But according to Warere Beach Hotel, the matter was reported to relevant authorities who classified the case as personal, and not the hotel’s negligence.

“We tried our best to support Ms Zainab Oladehinde as soon as we learned of the accusations,” Warere hotel said in a Facebook post. “We immediately brought her to the police and offered her support.”

The hotel also faulted the aggrieved client, Zainab, for declining to take the case further after pursuing numerous avenues in her quest for justice.

Zanzibar’s Commission for Tourism, on its part, said it was “shocked and disappointed” by the incident, adding that it was taking the allegations “very seriously” and “immediate investigation” has been launched into the matter.

“We condemn any harm or threat to our visitors to the peaceful islands of Zanzibar,” said the statement signed by one Hafsa Mbaba.

It is not clear how the issue is going to affect Zanzibar’s hospitality industry, which the isles heavily depend on, considering the ongoing movement to boycott the archipelago under the banner that “it is not safe.”

But maybe the effect could be minimal as other people push for an alternative agenda inviting more people to visit Zanzibar, arguing that the action of a single hotelier should not tarnish the image of a whole country and that of other hoteliers as well.

Man arrested in possession of two elephant’s tusks

Police in Katavi region in collaboration with game rangers from Katavi National Park have arrested forty-two-year-old Mashaka Mavunje in possession of two elephant’s tusks weighing 3.1 kilogrammes and a carcass of the jumbo weighing 90 kilogrammes, the government-owned Daily News newspaper reported Sunday.

Katavi Regional Police Commander (RPC) Mr Ali Makame Hamad confirmed to the paper the apprehension of Mavunje, a resident of Mtakuja Village in Mpanda District. He is described as a notorious poacher.

According to police, the suspect was arrested at the Kashoka area inside the Katavi National Park on April 14, 2022, at around 2:00 pm.

The suspect, apart from being caught red-handed in possession of a government trophy, was also found in possession of a homemade gun, a machete and a sword, according to reports

“His apprehension was made possible following a tip-off from whistleblowers,” Hamad was quoted as saying.

He further emphasized that the suspect will be arraigned in court after preliminary investigations are completed.

More than 1,000 staff to be recruited to address shortage in health sector

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Abel Makubi announced on Saturday 1,650 job opportunities for health staff who will be stationed at various health centres across the country.

In a statement, Dr Makubi said the government anticipates the move to recruit the said number of staff in the health sector will address the challenge of personnel shortages amid the State’s initiative to construct new health facilities.

He said that the shortlisted candidates will be dispatched to the areas with a critical shortage of health care staff and added that recruited staff will not be allowed to relocate to other working stations within three years of service.

He, however, advised those who are not flexible enough to work in the designated areas not to submit their applications.

“Those who are currently in school are not eligible to apply for these positions,” Dr Makubi said in a statement. “If selected, the suitable candidate will have to choose one of three areas in which he or she wants to be offered a job.”

Disaggregating the figure, he said the government intends to employ specialists (25), general doctors (215), pharmacists (15), laboratory officers (62), technologists (medicine, laboratories, radiation, Eyes-155), nursing officers (140) and assistant nursing officers (467).

Others are nurses (140), chemists (2), oral and dental health practitioners (15), dentists (19), physical therapists (15), orthopaedic practitioners (31), orthopaedic Officers (33), environmental health officers (40), health assistants (134), medical equipment engineers (17), medical technologists (40) and Health record keepers (10) and drivers (4).

The work stations are as follows; Regional Referral Hospitals; (1) Kigoma; (2) Katavi; (3) Sumbawanga; (4) Songwe; (5) Njombe; (6) Ruvuma; (7) Mtwara; (8) Lindi; (9) Simiyu; (10) Geita; (11) Shinyanga, (12) Tabora; (13) Singida; (14) Manyara; and (15) Mara; Regional hospitals, Chato and Mtwara Hospitals, Kibong’oto Infectious Diseases Hospital (KIDH) and Health Colleges.

Zanzibar to host major festival of black arts and culture

More than 10,000 artists from across the continent are expected to attend the Festival of Black Arts and Culture (FESTAC) which will be held in Tanzania’s Zanzibar in May, organizers said Saturday.

Yinka Abioye, the chairperson of the FESTAC Africa and a member of the festival’s organizing committee and the Zanzibar Association of Tour Operators (ZATO) official Hassan Ali Mzee said the festival is slated for May 22 through May 29.

They told a news conference that participants in the festival will share their experiences in pan-Africanism.

The festival, featuring “FESTAC Africa 2022 – Destination Zanzibar,” will showcase arts, culture, heritage, music, tourism, hospitality literature and travel, among other things, said Abioye.

The festival will also include an exhibition designed to showcase the richness of the African continent through a “Proudly Made in Africa Expo,” Mzee said.

He added that many interested persons and groups from African countries and members of the African diaspora have confirmed to travel to Zanzibar for the festival.

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